Better Days
by k2912p
Summary: Meredith finds an unlikely ally during a difficult time. Will this turn into friendship or something more?
1. chapter 1

**A/N: I know I have a couple of other fics that desperately need an uodate...it's coming, I swear! It's just taking some time. After the finale, I just had to write this. U hope you enjoy, and PLEASE review!!! Love you all!:)**

Meredith was worried. She had spent most of her adult life trying to avoid becoming her mother. She had allowed herself to love, have a family, even to move on after the loss of her great love. Now, however, she felt that she was more like her mother than ever.

Her village, as she had called it, was gone. Maggie had moved out, Amelia was with Owen and didn't come home anymore, and Alex was gone. She relied heavily on the nanny and worked almost nonstop. She told herself that she was just doing her job, but the reality was much sadder. She was lonely. Everyone she had loved had moved on, or died. The pain never stopped. It was there from the time she woke up, on the rare occasion that she slept, until she went to bed. It was there, even in the laughter of her children, when she thought how much Derek would have loved to be here to hear them laugh.

Even in the operating room she wasn't free from the crushing sadness. She missed working with Jo. She had a never ending string of interns, but none showed any real promise.

Worse still, there was no outlet for her sadness. She refused to call Alex, who was still in the honeymoon phase of his marriage. As sad as she was, she refused to do anything to take even an ounce of his happiness away. She loved him too much to do that to him. Her sisters were happy, too, in their respective relationships, and she also wouldn't tell them for fear of taking from their happiness.

Cristina was in the midst of yet another clinical trial. She would take the time to talk to her, but Meredith couldn't bring herself to call.

She could talk to Richard, but she was not yet ready to hear his sage words, even though she knew they would probably help.

So, for now, she worked to cover the pain. But as it was with any crutch, she soon needed greater and greater quantities to meet the need. This is how she ended up here tonight, volunteering for an all-nighter, desperate for a break from the pain.

She was headed down the hall to grab a nap in an on call room. She entered the room and sat down on the bottom bunk, her shoulders hunched and her head in her hands. It was only in moments like this, when she knew she was alone, that she let the tears flow. As she sobbed, she didn't hear the door open and was surprised by the sensation of someone sitting beside her.

She jumped and wiped her face with the inside of her scrub top, facing away from the mystery person as she did so. After a moment, she turned to see who was in the room with her.

"DeLuca!"

"Sorry, Dr. Grey. I couldn't just leave you here like that."

"It's….okay," she said, hesitantly.

"Are you okay?" He asked, somewhat awkwardly. They weren't really friends, and she was his superior, but he had come to care for her in recent months. He'd been the recipient of her kindness a few times recently; first, when she allowed him to sleep on her couch when he had nowhere else to go; then when she recognized he needed help and recruited his sister; and most recently twice on the day of Jo and Alex's wedding – first when she gave him a pep talk when she saw how sad he was, and secondly when she forgave him for kissing her when he mistook her kindness as a seduction.

She nodded, looking down at her hands, and choked out her famous line, "I'm fine."

He could have just left her like that, but he was raised to be a gentleman. "With all due respect, Dr. Grey, I don't think you are. And I want to help. How can I help?"

She turned to him, touched by the sincerity in his voice, which was also reflected in his eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but the pain was there, waiting for release, and she broke down, sobbing.

His forehead creased in concern. He lifted his arm to put around her, then pulled it back again before he cautiously draped it around her. He knew she'd been having a hard time since Alex left. It was all over the hospital. He hadn't realized how hard a time she'd been having, though. He tried to remember the last time he saw her smile, and realized it had been months, since before Alex left. He knew her pain, had been living it since Sam left, and felt a connection to her.

"It's okay. You're going to be okay. Let it out. I got you." He pulled her in to his side, and she put her head on his shoulder. He held her a little tighter. "We're both going to be fine."

He embraced her until the crying stopped and her breathing normalized. She sat up and wiped her eyes. "Thank you, Andrew."

He smiled at her. "You're welcome, Dr. Grey." He put his hands on the bed to push himself up. "I should probably go." He stood and walked towards the door.

"Andrew, wait!" She said suddenly.

He turned to face her.

She shrugged her shoulders slightly. "Maybe…could you stay just a little longer?"

He saw the sadness in her eyes, and for a split second wondered if this was a good idea. Before his brain could process that thought, however, he was moving back across the room and sitting down beside her again. They sat there, not speaking, for several minutes. What he thought would be awkward or uncomfortable was actually pleasant, just having someone to share the pain. He didn't know if she felt the same, but his pain was definitely lessened.

She didn't speak. She was afraid if she opened her mouth she would start to cry again, but also afraid that she would say something she shouldn't. She didn't always make the best decisions when she was feeling vulnerable, and right now she was more vulnerable than she had been in quite some time. She was grateful to Andrew for not trying to fill the silence, and grateful to him for his presence. For the first time in months she didn't feel alone, the pressing pain lifting just a bit.

"Are you on call tonight?" she finally said.

"Yeah."

"Me too. Would you mind... sleeping in here?"

He wasn't sure how to respond. "Uh…"

She turned to look at him. "Not like that! In the other bunk!" She sighed. "It's just nice…"

He smiled. "To be with someone who understands your pain."

She nodded. "Yeah. Something like that."

"Sure Dr. Grey. I'd, uh, be honored."

She smiled despite herself. "Thanks, Andrew."

He got up and climbed to the top bunk.

After a few moments, Meredith spoke. "Have you spoken with Sam, uh, Dr. Bello? How's she doing?"

He sighed. "No, we agreed to have no contact. It just makes it too hard." There was another pause. "People keep telling me to get over her, to move on, but I just can't. They tell me it's not like she died. And they're right. In some ways, it's worse. And I mean no disrespect to you. Dr. Grey. I know you've really lost someone you loved."

"No, I get it." She said quietly. "With death, at least you can mourn. People respect that, at least at first. When I lost Derek, I had all this help. With this, I'm on my own. They don't understand. I guess it's one of those things where you can't understand it unless you've lived through it."

"Maybe…" he began, but his voice trailed off. "No, it's a dumb idea."

"Maybe what?" she prompted.

He sighed, not sure how she would react to his idea. "I was going to say maybe you don't have to be on your own. I'm on my own, too. I wouldn't mind, you know, being here for you." He was nervous the second he had said it. She was his superior; they didn't have that type of relationship. He was desperate for a friend and reached out for the wrong one, he thought. But talking to her tonight was the first time he felt better, even a little, since Sam was gone. He felt he had to take the chance.

She mulled it over for a minute. There were many reasons not to accept his offer. However, one thing stood out to her; for the first time in months, she felt like she could breathe. The weight had lifted a little. Maybe this could work. "Okay." She said at last. "But we have to have some groundrules if this is going to work. Anything we say stays between us."

"Of course."

"Also, I am your superior, so if at any tine you feel uncomfortable, you tell me."

"Thank you, Dr. Grey."

"Meredith. If we're going to do this, we should be on a first name basis."

He smiled. "Thank you, Meredith."

A brief smile passed over her mouth as her eyelids became heavy. "Thank you, Andrew," she said, falling into a restful sleep.


	2. Chapter two

Chapter Two

 **A/N: Thank you for the reviews, follows and favorites! I appreciate you all more than I can say!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters.**

Only a couple of hours had passed when Meredith bolted up in the bed gasping loudly for air. Her hands were up by her throat, pulling at the neck of her scrub top. Her eyes darted around the darkened room, and her panic increased. She jumped off of the bed and threw the light switch on the wall. She hunched and placed her hands on her knees trying to steady herself.

"Dr. Grey?" Andrew called to her, quietly, but received no response other than the loud, ragged, gasps. As he came to awareness that something was wrong, he jumped off the bunk and went to her.

"Dr. Grey…Meredith…" he said a little louder. She did not respond. He carefully touched her arm. He wasn't sure if she was sleepwalking and didn't want to make things worse. He bent down to look into her eyes. She seemed to see him, so he stooped in front of her so he could make eye contact and placed both hands on her shoulders.

"Dr. Grey, what's wrong? Are you hurt? Are you sick?" He did a cursory exam, but did not see any signs of injury. Her breathing was rapid and upon checking her pulse, he found it was extremely fast. From his limited psych training, he suspected she was having a panic attack. He rubbed her upper arms. She still wasn't responding, but she also wasn't fighting him. He guided her over to the bed and sat her down. He kneeled in front of her, holding her hands.

"Look at me." He spoke firmly, but gently. She raised her eyes to meet his. "Take slow, deep breaths. Just like me." He took a deep breath in and let it out. "Come on, Meredith, breathe with me." She took a few deep breaths. "I think you're having a panic attack. You're fine. Nothing bad is happening. You're safe." He continued to breathe with her. He checked her pulse again, and found it to be coming down. "Everything is fine, just keep breathing." Her breathing slowly normalized, and when she seemed to be back under her own power, he let go of her hands and sat next to her on the bed, rubbing her back for support.

"Better?" He asked, softly.

She sat, head down, staring at her hands. She nodded and wiped her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up." Her voice was quiet and sad.

"Don't apologize. Panic attacks are rough. Does that happen often?"

She gave him a tight smile. "No, must've been a bad dream. I'm fine."

He suspected she was lying, but didn't want to push it. He didn't need to, however, because he had another way to connect with her.

"I used to get them, too." He said quietly.

She looked up at him, eyebrows raised.

"After…the thing happened." He said, referring to when Alex had badly beaten him.

"Oh." She said, looking down, not wanting to remember that awful time when Alex almost went to jail, saved only by Deluca's selflessness.

"They started when I was in the hospital, and I would wake up panicking because I couldn't see if someone was in the room…" his voice trailed off as he felt her stiffen beside him. "I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't talk about this."

"No, it's okay. I want to know." She said, not looking up.

"Okay." He said, then continued. "But then after I was home, they stopped…for a while. After Sam left, they started up again."

She looked up at him, her eyes wide in recognition. "Do you still have them?"

"No, after a few weeks, they stopped again." He paused, wondering if he should continue, then decided to risk it. "What caused yours in the first place? Was it when that patient hurt you?"

She was silent, once again looking down. She knew Deluca was a good guy and she was sure she could trust him. She did not like talking about this, but she knew she needed help.

"I'm sorry, you don't have to tell me. I shouldn't have…"

Just then, the urgent notification clanged on her phone. She read the display and hurriedly slipped her shoes on. "Trauma in the pit. Let's go." She stood and grabbed her lab coat, once again all business, and rushed from the room with Andrew in tow.

They arrived in the pit and went to the trauma room. Owen was working on the unconscious patient.

"What've we got?" Meredith said, authoritatively. She quickly donned a yellow trauma gown and gloves while Deluca did the same.

"Twenty four year old female, unrestrained passenger in an MVA. Unconscious at the scene. GCS ten. Blunt force trauma to the chest and penetrating abdominal injury." Owen gave her the bullet while Meredith and Andrew went to work examining the patient.

It was quickly determined that this patient needed the O.R. urgently. They mobilized the patient and headed out towards the elevators. Helm was heading in their direction.

"Helm, I've got a trauma patient. Cover my post-ops."

They ran to catch the elevator, leaving Helm by herself. She gesticulated with her hands, indicating that she was annoyed, as the elevator doors closed.

"We're all going to have to work fast," Owen said. "She's already lost a lot of blood, so we're going to have to scrub fast and get in there."

The elevator doors opened and they rushed off to scrub while scrub nurses draped and prepped the patient.

The three doctors scrubbed silently, each mentally preparing for the surgery ahead. After a few minutes, the three entered the room, with Owen taking point.

"Scalpel," he commanded, and made the first incision.

The three doctors worked feverishly for several hours, ultimately successfully saving her life. They were back in the scrub room, washing up afterwards.

"Great job in there. I'll go notify the family." Owen said as he finished washing, and left the scrub room, leaving Meredith and Andrew alone.

"I was in a plane crash." She began, very quietly, staring ahead.

Andrew finished washing, and turned to face her.

"My sister was killed. Those of us that survived were out there in the woods for almost a week before we were rescued. The wind was too strong, so we lost our fire the first night. The nights were…so long, and dark and so cold. The noises….it was awful. We could hear animals, we knew they were close, but we couldn't see anything. Each day, we would say todays the day we get rescued. But then the night would come again, and we didn't know if we would make it until morning. When we finally got home, that's when the panic attacks started. I couldn't turn the lights out at night for months. They got better, and eventually went away. They didn't happen after Derek died. I think I was too numb. But they started again after Alex left."

He had known that she was in a plane crash, and that is how she had become part owner of the hospital, but he was privy to no other details until now. He was shocked by the reveal.

"Oh my God. I had no idea." He thought for a minute about his own panic attacks, and how he would stay awake for days to avoid them. "Is that why you've been working so much lately?"

She turned and looked up at him, surprised that he picked up on that. "Yeah."

"So you're not sleeping?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, not much." She admitted.

"Meredith, that's not safe, and you know that. I can write you a prescription…"

She waved him off. "No. No medication. I have to be able to hear the kids if I'm home, and I can't take it when I'm on call here."

He shook his head almost imperceptibly, in awe of her strength. "Hmm. It's not easy, is it?" he said, kindly.

She tilted her head slightly. "What isn't?" she asked.

Sympathy took over his face. "Being you."

She managed a weak smile and shook her head as a tear rolled down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away. "No, it's not."

His heart went out to her. She was there for everyone; her family, her friends, and her patients. She was always giving of herself, and here she was, so badly in need and so alone.

"You've got to get some sleep, Meredith."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I know, but…I just can't!"

He thought for a moment, needing to find a way to help her.

"What about your sisters? I'm sure they would want to help."

She waved him off before he finished the sentence. "No. I don't want anyone to know."

"Okay." He said quietly. "I will do what I can to help you. Can you get someone to take the kids tonight?"

She stared at him for a moment before answering. "I can ask Maggie. Amelia has too much on her own plate right now."

"Let me know when it's all set, and I'll come over tonight and help you, all right?"

She still felt a little unsure opening up to him, but decided it was worth the chance.

She nodded. "Okay."

He smiled at her and touched her arm for support. "I'll see you later."

He exited the scrub room, and Meredith exhaled deeply, hoping she made the right decision.

Several hours later, Meredith was at home in the living room when the doorbell rang. She was dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, her hair down. She crossed to the door and opened it for Andrew.

"Come on in," she said cheerfully. "I ordered a pizza and I got a couple of movies we can watch. There's beer in the fridge. Help yourself." She headed back in to the living room and went to the couch, Andrew following her, carrying a bag with him.

"Meredith, you're not entertaining me."

"Sorry! Give it a few minutes!"

He scoffed. "No! I mean that's not why I'm here."

"I know," she said softly, sitting on the couch. "I'm just worried. What if this doesn't work?"

He walked over and sat next to her. "Then we will find something that does. But I really think this will work."

The doorbell rang. "Pizza." She jumped off the couch and headed to the door, returning a moment later with the pizza, which she set on the table in front of them.

"Pick one." She held up the movies, and Andrew selected one, hoping it would help her to relax a little.

They sat together, eating pizza and watching the movie until he caught her yawn.

"I have an idea. Why don't you go take a hot bath, and I'll make you some tea." He decided it was time to take point.

She looked at him and knew arguing was pointless, happy to have someone to tell her what to do. "Yeah, okay." She said, sounding resigned.

"Good." He smiled at her.

As she headed up the stairs, he pulled a box of tea which claimed to cause drowsiness from the bag and headed to the kitchen.

A half hour later, he had her seated on the couch and drinking tea.

"Thanks. This is really good." She said, yawning.

He smiled. "So, do you want to sleep here, or in your bed?" he asked.

She sighed. "In my bed. I don't sleep well on the couch."

He stood, and reached a hand out to her. He saw her chew on her bottom lip. "Meredith, it's going to be okay. Come on."

She nodded reluctantly, and took his hand. She saw him grab the bag from the floor. "What's in the bag?"

"Just a few things I thought might help." He said, as they headed up the stairs and into her room.

Andrew had never been in her room, and felt a little uncomfortable being in such an intimate setting. He decided to focus on the task at hand, and was all business.

"Okay, Dr. Grey, make yourself comfortable," he said, reaching into the bag.

She looked at him quizzically. "What happened to Meredith?" she asked as she sat on the bed.

"I think I'd prefer to call you Dr. Grey when I'm, uh, in your bedroom." He explained nervously as he took a few candles out of the bag.

She sat, watching him as he lit the candles, and dissolved into giggles.

He smiled despite his nervousness, happy to hear her laugh again.

"What's funny?" he asked, lighting the last of the candles and grabbing a box out of the bag.

"Nothing!" she said, but started giggling harder.

He turned to look at her, amused. "What? Come on, tell me!"

"I was just thinking that I haven't had a boy in my room in a long time, and you're so nervous!" she said, continuing her laughter.

He chuckled. "Okay, that's not helping," he said, which only increased her laughter. He gave into the laughter as he worked to set up the box he had removed from the bag.

She finally calmed down. "What's that?" she asked, pointing to the box.

"Sound machine." He caught her look of apprehension. "It works for some people. Can't hurt to try."

Meredith looked around at the candles. There were quite a few of them. "And the candles?" she asked.

"Lavender. To induce sleep," he said, looking around to make sure everything was as he wanted it. "Okay, Dr. Grey, time to lie down."

She again giggled. "Andrew, you're going to have to call me Meredith." She paused, still sitting up. "I honestly don't want to sleep."

"I know, but it's going to be okay." He said again, gently.

She started to protest, but he stopped her. "I'm going to be right there with you, and we are going to keep the light on. Now lie down."

She regarded him warily, but did as he instructed.

He grabbed a couple of pillows and placed them against her back. He took a blanket and covered her, tucking in the pillows tightly to her. "We're going to try to trick your brain so it doesn't think you're alone," he explained.

He turned on the sound machine to ocean sounds. "Is this okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's nice." She said.

He sat in a chair near her bed. "Get some sleep, Meredith. I'll be right here if you need anything."

He watched her for several minutes, hoping it would work and she would fall asleep. Suddenly, she struggled and broke free of the blankets. She sat up and looked at him. "This isn't working. I know this isn't really someone here with me, and I can't trick my brain if I know it isn't real." She motioned with her head for him to get in the bed.

"What? No, Dr. Grey…"

"Come on, Deluca!" she pleaded. "Please! It's the only thing that might work."

He closed his eyes tightly for a second, telling himself that this was a bad idea. But once again, his body betrayed him and he was going to her, even though his brain had not yet warmed to the idea.

He lie down next to her, and she reached over and grabbed his arm, pulling it around her. Strangely, that motion had a calming effect on him and his awkwardness was quickly forgotten.

"Get some sleep, Meredith. I'm going to stay awake, and I will be right here. Everything is fine."

She allowed herself to relax into him. "Andrew, I'm really glad you opened that door last night." She said, groggily.

He smiled. "So am I, Meredith."


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

 **A/N: Thank you for the reviews! I am so sorry this update has taken so long. I ask that you please bear with me. I'm trying to balance my full time job and other responsibilities, and sometimes there are just not enough hours in the day! The best I can tell you is that I promise to update, I just don't know how quickly I CAN update.**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please read and review!:)**

The first thing she noticed when she opened her eyes was the stillness. There was not a sound in the house, save for the gentle snoring of the person laying next to her. It wasn't simply the quiet of the house in the pre-dawn hours that surprised her, though, but rather the absolute calm of her mind. For the first time she could remember in recent history, she didn't have a thousand thoughts racing through her mind. It was then that she turned her attention to the comforting heaviness across her abdomen and to the man who provided it.

She regarded the man sleeping peacefully beside her. He had so selflessly given her his friendship not just once, but twice in as many nights. He had proven himself time and again to be someone she could trust. She felt a pang of guilt as she watched him, having never really given him a chance. Yet, despite this, she felt a warmth and security with his arm around her that she had not felt in a very long time. The corners of her mouth turned up in a smile as she relaxed into the weight around her. Moments passed in utter stillness, in which even her ever active mind remained content to drink in the quiet. She closed her eyes and again fell asleep.

As consciousness started to pervade her senses, her eyes fluttered open to the sunlight filtering through the curtained window. As she came to total awareness, she was flooded with happiness and sat up quickly.

"Andrew!" she exclaimed, excitedly tapping the arm still draped around her.

He opened his eyes and sat up quickly. "I'm so sorry. I must have dozed off. I was awake for hours. I blew the candles out a while ago..." he rambled nervously.

"That's okay!" she looked at him with a big smile. "It's morning!" she exclaimed. "It worked! I slept!"

"It worked?" He looked from her excited expression, to the sunlight streaming through the window, and back to her. "It worked!" he exclaimed, hugging her tightly. Once again, the awkwardness returned and he broke from the hug, clearing his throat as he did so. "Sorry, Dr. Grey," he said, smiling sheepishly.

She again giggled. "You've got to stop that, Andrew." She looked at him earnestly. "I don't know how to thank you." She grabbed his hand for emphasis.

"No thanks necessary, Meredith. I'm just so glad I was able to help," he answered truthfully, peering into her eyes which, he thought, were so much clearer today than they were yesterday and had a sparkle that he hadn't seen in a very long time. He recalled the last time he had seen her eyes sparkle like that. It had been the day of Alex and Jo's wedding, when she was talking to him on the little footbridge. The sparkle was what had dared him to kiss her that day. He was suddenly keenly aware that he was still in her bed and still holding her hand. He pulled his hand away and got quickly out of the bed, trying to make it look as casual as possible.

She watched him, an amused smile playing on her lips. "How about a cup of coffee?" she offered, combing her hair with her fingers.

He smiled shyly at her, making minimal eye contact. "Coffee sounds great."

They went downstairs to the kitchen and Meredith put on a pot of coffee. "There's cereal on the counter, feel free to help yourself," she said as she took two mugs down from the cupboard. "I can't tell you how much better I feel today. I haven't slept like that in weeks." She grabbed two bowls and spoons, set them out, and grabbed milk and orange juice from the refrigerator.

"Yeah, about that. How were you able to function like that, let alone do surgery?" he asked, truly amazed at her ability to work so well under such difficult circumstances.

"Honestly? I've had a lot of practice. Bad things seem to follow me. I've learned to adapt," she said, setting out two glasses for juice as she joined him at the table. "Sorry," she said, gesturing to the breakfast laid out before them. "I'm not very domestic. This is about as good as it gets," she said with a self-deprecating chuckle.

"This is great, thank you." His head tilted to the side slightly, questioningly. "What do you mean, 'bad things follow you?'"

She blew out a sigh as she reached for the cereal. "Andrew, the only thing more legendary around the hospital than my surgical ability is my propensity for disaster. Have you really never heard these stories?"

"I know about the attack from that patient, and you told me about the plane crash. Was that it?" he asked, innocently, taken aback by her sudden burst of laughter.

"Not even the tip of the iceberg!" She stood and went to the coffee pot, pouring two cups and returning to the table, setting a cup in front of him.

"Thank you." He took a sip from the steaming mug, his eyes never leaving hers, eager to learn more of her past.

She regarded her new friend for a few moments before beginning. It was very unlike her to reveal so much of herself, yet she felt so open around him. She allowed herself a small smile. "Okay, but this is kind of a lot to take in. Don't say I didn't warn you."

His forehead creased, he crossed his arms on the table and leaned forward, setting his jaw as he did so. "It's okay, Meredith. Tell me everything." His voice, warm and comforting, pushed her to continue.

"Then I guess I should start with the bomb," she began, as she watched Andrew's eyes widen.

Over breakfast, and stretching into the next hour, she shocked him with the details of the bombing, her near-drowning, the hospital shooting, more details of the plane crash, her cesarean section in the dark, Derek's death and nearly bleeding out during Ellis's birth.

"So nightmares were my normal for a very long time. I learned to function on very little sleep, I got good at it." She looked down at her now empty cup. "But this is the worst it's ever been," she said quietly.

He leaned forward and lowered his head in order to meet her gaze. "It's going to get better, Meredith. I promise." He said, smiling reassuringly at her.

She returned a weak smile. "Thank you, Andrew. You're a good friend." She reached over and patted his arm. "So," she said, attempting to lighten the mood, "what are your plans for the day? Are you working?" she asked.

Before he could answer, they heard the front door open and the sound of children's voices filtered in.

"I guess Maggie decided to bring them home early," she said, as she stood to go greet them.

Andrew sat alone in the kitchen, feeling a little uneasy, a little concerned about what Maggie might think about finding him there. They had been broken up for a long time, and by all accounts she was happy with Jackson, but things had never felt normal with Maggie since.

"Hey guys! I've missed you!" he heard Meredith greet them. "Hey, Zola, can you please take your brother and sister upstairs and help them put away their things? I just want to talk to Aunt Maggie for a second.

"Okay, mom." Zola cheerfully helped out, and the sounds of the kids receded as they went up the stairs.

"I really appreciate you taking them last night. I hope they weren't any trouble." Andrew heard Meredith say to Maggie.

"No trouble, Mer. Jackson had Harriet last night, too, so they wound up having a play date. Is everything okay, though? You said it was an emergency." Maggie headed for the kitchen.

Meredith's eyes went wide with alarm, and she trailed after Maggie to the kitchen. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just really needed some time."

Maggie rounded the corner to the kitchen and was noticeably taken aback when she saw Andrew sitting at the table, his hair disheveled. She glanced back at Meredith and noticed that she, too, was unkempt. She pursed her lips and tilted her head accusatorily at Meredith.

"Meredith, I need to speak to you, please," she said through clenched teeth. "In private." Maggie turned to leave the room.

"No, you don't, Maggie. Andrew is here because I…" she began, but Andrew interrupted her.

"I'm here because Dr. Grey is helping me with something," he finished, watching Meredith. Her face had been creased with worry. She was gnawing on her lower lip and was wringing her hands.

Maggie wasn't buying it. She crossed her arms and rocked back on her heels. "Yeah. I'll bet!" she said, angrily.

"Maggie!" Meredith exclaimed, surprised at her reaction.

Andrew stood up and faced Maggie. He was upset with her insinuation, one that she not only was wrong about, but one that she had no business making. "If you must know, Dr. Grey has been helping me. I've been having a hard time ever since Sam left. She let me come over last night and we watched some movies and had pizza to help take my mind off of it." He looked at Meredith, standing behind Maggie, and she mouthed "Thank you."

Maggie looked at him, then turned to face Meredith. "I'm so sorry, Meredith. I shouldn't have thought…"

Meredith was still annoyed with her accusation. "No, you shouldn't have thought anything, Maggie. If you have a problem with something, you ask me questions, you don't go around accusing me and my friends! I think you should go," she said, quietly, but with conviction.

Maggie turned to leave. "I really am sorry," she said, as she departed.

Meredith waited until she heard the front door close before speaking. "You didn't have to cover for me. I truly appreciate it, though. If she found out, she'd hover, and that does not help me at all."

"Yeah, I know how she can get." He stood and gathered the dishes, bringing them to the sink. "I have to get going, Meredith. I have to go see an apartment today." He rinsed the dishes as he spoke.

"You're looking for a place?" she asked, surprise registering on her face.

"Yeah, I've been subletting this place, but the owners are coming back. I was in between places when Sam left, and I found out about this sublet. I took it, but I never looked for a permanent place and now the owners are back next week and I'm kind of, well, screwed."

"That's perfect!" she exclaimed.

"Uh, I'm glad you think so?" he questioned, confused as to how this could possibly be good news.

She chuckled. "Sorry! What I meant was I have room here! Move in here!"

He finished rinsing the dishes and wiped his hands on the dish towel before turning to her. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Mind? Andrew, I'd be honored! Say you'll take it!"

He considered it for a moment, then smiled a full smile at her. "I'll take it. Thank you."

She opened her arms for a hug, which he accepted. They broke from the hug, and Andrew turned to leave. He turned back to say something to her, and saw her chewing on her lower lip, her eyes cast downward.

"Meredith?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she answered, unconvincingly. She was already thinking ahead to the evening.

He smiled and stepped towards her. "Do you want me to move in tonight?"

She looked up and met his kind eyes. "Could you?"

"Yeah, I think I can manage that," he said, nodding. "I don't have much to pack, and I'll be back a little later." He couldn't help noticing the look of relief that washed across her face. He smiled, not only because he knew he had made the right decision, but because he finally felt like he belonged, a feeling that had eluded him since starting at Grey Sloan Memorial.

Meredith turned and went to the sink to finish washing the dishes, and Andrew once again turned to leave.

"Andrew?"

He stopped walking and turned back to her, silently.

"Thank you."


End file.
